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Danny gave her a hard stare before he continued. “No, she didn’t. And she didn’t hate me either. It turns out that neither one of us got over it. Yes, I had an affair with Lauren. It was my decision, and I’ll own that. And Iamsorry for how much that hurt you.” He at least got a huff of acknowledgment from his wife for the apology.
“But the truth—and you wanted the truth—is that before I met you, she was the love of my life,” he said. “I didn’t understand it before, but I’m still getting over that broken heart from all those years ago. And I need time to work through it.”
Heather flushed a bright, furious red. “You’re still getting over it? You needtime?”
Their therapist interrupted. “Heather. I know it hurt to hear that. But one of the things you said you wanted from these sessions was the truth—genuine candor. That’s what Danny’s giving you right now. It’s okay to feel the emotions you’re feeling, but you shouldn’t punish him for doing what you asked.”
Heather squirmed in her seat. Tears flowed down her cheeks. “I know. But I don’t have to like it.”
“I’m not asking you to like it,” Danny said. “I’m asking you to try understanding it.”
“I do appreciate the honesty, I do,” Heather conceded. “But whenever I hear her music, all I can think about is that you still feel something for her. And that cuts. Deep. I’d be perfectly happy if I never heard another of her songs again. Ever.”
“I understand,” Danny said.
“Is there anything else you want to share, Danny?” The doctor asked.
“When The Kingmakers start their tour, I’m going to go see the show.”
Heather exploded. “Are youfucking kiddingme?”
Danny wasn’t surprised by her response. He’d known she would blow a gasket over it, but it had been on his mind for a long time.
“No, I’m not kidding.” He kept his voice quiet and level and resisted the urge to plunge into the fight.
“How can you even say that to me? After everything you did with her?” Heather reached out for the glass of water on the table. Her hand shook as she lifted it. For a second, Danny thought she was going to fling it at him.
“And frankly, I’m telling you. I’m not asking for permission.” Danny heard her sharp, shocked intake of breath. “I wanted you to know up front so you don’t think I’m sneaking behind your back. I’ll even take someone with me. Joey. Maggie. Maybe even Cole. I’ll even take you if you want—”
“—Absolutely not! —”
“—But Iamgoing to go. What I will promise you is that I won’t go alone.”
The rest of the therapy session was unproductive, and Heather refused to talk to Danny on the way home. He didn’t care. He’d made his mistakes, and so far, he’d done everything his wife asked since they got back together. The therapy, the discussions with Father Rob. All of it. He needed to—and the triteness of the pun made him cringe—face the music, and he wasn’t going to back down on his plan.
The next day was a gorgeous—a warm October reminder of the receding summer—and rather than the traditional Sunday afternoon dinner, the Padovano clan opted for a final backyard cookout. Richie, doing a respectable impression of Patton marshaling the troops, manned the grill. Across the yard, Joey was tossing a football with Lucas and Matty. Danny came out of the house and put a bowl of garden salad on the long table, then went to stand by his father.
“How are things going?” Richie asked.
Danny knew what he was referring to. “We had a rough session Friday. Real rough.”
Richie nodded. “Have you seen Lauren?”
The question caught Danny off-guard. “No, I told Heather I wouldn’t, and I haven’t…” His voice faded and his eyes unfocused.
“And it’s tearing you up, isn’t it?”
Danny’s sigh weighed a thousand pounds. “If you’d told me when I got married that I could be in love with two people at the same time, I would have told you that you were full of it. But now? I’ve lived it, and no matter what I do, someone still gets hurt.”
His father turned pensive for a moment. He flipped the burgers and said, “Of all three of you kids, you’re the most stubborn. Maggie’s a close second. But I learned a long time ago that telling you what to do or think is the fastest way to get you to do the exact opposite. It’s a lesson I wish your mother would learn sometimes.”
“Tell me about it.”
“You’re between that rock and a hard place, Danny. And you’re right—whatever you decide, someone you care about gets hurt. You get hurt. You’ve had to make hard decisions about what you’re willing to give up and what you can’t live without.”
What I can’t live without…In an instant, Danny thought of his boys: helping Lucas get ready to talk to the girl he really liked… coaching Matty in basketball… playing knights and dragons with Tommy. He swallowed hard.
“For what it’s worth,” his father said, “I think you’re back on the right course, Danny. You need your family, and they need you.”
